Jenny Kwan

Jenny immigrated to Canada with her family in 1976. For the first two years, her mother worked as a farm worker to support the family. She earned $10/day to support a family of eight while her father went to Vancouver Community College to learn English as a Second Language.

Jenny’s life experiences led her to become a community legal advocate in Vancouver’s downtown eastside. She is a tireless fighter for the people of East Van and a fierce advocate for equality and justice.

In 1993, she became the youngest Vancouver councillor and the lone voice for the progressive movement. Then in 1996, elected MLA for Mt Pleasant and Jenny was appointed the first Chinese Canadian cabinet minister in BC. In 2001, Jenny was one of the 2 opposition MLAs that took on 77 Liberals.

A former five-term MLA for Vancouver Mt. Pleasant, and now the newly elected MP for Vancouver East, Jenny is a strong, effective and proven voice for East Vancouver.

Jenny joined the Welfare Food Challenge to help educate, raise awareness and continue her 25 years of advocacy to end poverty. There is no question that having only $21/week for food is inadequate yet over 175,000 people live this reality everyday in BC. Statistics Canada estimates that 1 in 10 people across the nation live in poverty and among them are children, seniors and persons with a disability. Chances are you know someone who is living in poverty. It could be your brother, sister, neighbour and friends. It could be you! What can we do? Join the welfare food challenge. Help raise awareness. Call for action. Raise the rates. Let’s end poverty!